Sūrah Hāqqah
forms a pair with Sūrah Ma‘ārij the succeeding sūrah with regard to the subject
discussed in both the sūrahs. The first sūrah cautions the Quraysh about the
punishment of the Herein and the Hereafter and the second sūrah warns such
people from among the Quraysh of their fate as made fun of this very punishment
and asked to hasten its arrival.

The sūrah is
directed at the leadership of the Quraysh, and it is evident from its contents
that, like the previous sūrahs of this group, it was revealed in Makkah in the
phase of Inzār in the Prophet's mission (sws).

Central Theme

The central
theme of Sūrah Hāqqah is to substantiate the Day of Judgement, to mention what
will happen on that Day and to warn those among its addressees of the
consequences of denying the warnings sounded by the Qur’ān about it.

The
Inevitable!1 What is the Inevitable?
What do you know what the Inevitable is? (1-3)

It is the
Pounding One2 which the ‘Ād and the Thamūd denied.3
As for the Thamūd, they were destroyed by a calamity that exceeded all bounds
and the Ād by a storm, fierce and violent. He let loose this [storm] on them for
seven nights and eight days to ravage them. You would have seen them lying
overthrown as though they were hollow trunks of palm-trees. So do you now see
any of them?4 (4-8)

And the same
crime was committed by Pharaoh and those before him and by the overturned
settlements5 also such that they
disobeyed the Prophet of their Lord [sws]6.
So He gripped them with an intensifying grip. (9-10)

[Similarly,
as a consequence of denying Noah (sws)] when [the storm blew over and] the flood
rose high it was We who carried you upon the ark to make this [account of your
ancestors] a reminder for you and that retaining ears may retain it7
. (11-12)

Consequently,
[in a similar manner]8 when the
trumpet shall be sounded once only and the earth and the mountains shall be
shattered to pieces with one crash. So on that day will happen which is to
happen9. And the sky will be rent
asunder; frail will it be on that day and the angels will be [gathered near] its
borders10 and eight of them will on
that Day bear the throne of your Lord over them11.
On that Day shall you be presented [before Him] such that no secret will remain
a secret. (13-18)

Then he who is
given his record in his right hand will say ‘Take this and read it. I always
thought that [one day] I shall have to face my reckoning’. Consequently, he will
be in a life of bliss in a lofty garden whose fruits will be hanging low -- Eat
and drink to your heart’s content as reward for what you did in the days gone
by.12(19-24)

And he who is
given his record in his left hand will say ‘Would that I were not given my
record or were aware of my account. Would that [my] death were final. Of what
use has been my wealth to me? And I am robbed of all my authority’ -- Seize him
and chain him by the neck. Then into Hell cast him. Then with a chain whose
measure in yards is seventy bind him -- For he used not to believe in Allah13,
the Most High, nor urged the feeding of the poor. So, today he has no friend
[who can sympathise with him] nor any food except the fluid in which wounds are
washed14. Only these sinners will
eat it.(25-37)

[You think
that this Qur’ān has been inspired by some Satan?] No [certainly not. This is
what you say]. So, I present before you the testimony of that which you see15
and also of that which you do not16.
This Message has been brought by a noble messenger [an honoured angel]. It is no
poet's word. Little do you believe17.
Nor is it the word of some soothsayer. Little do you understand. It is a
revelation from the Lord of the worlds18.
And if [this Prophet of Ours (sws)] had concocted some false discourses in Our
name, We would have surely seized him by Our strong hand and then severed his
life-vein. Then no one among you could have withheld Us from this19.
And [O People! you did not give it due regard and this is certainly your own
deprivation]. And surely this is a reminder for the God-fearing. And We very
well know that there are those among you who deny it. [They will keep on denying
it and [on the Day of Judgement] this [Qur’ān] will indeed become a regret for
these disbelievers. And [this Day of Judgement] surely is a certain reality. So
[O Prophet (sws)! bear with patience what they say] and glorify the name of your
Lord, Most High20. (38-52)

______________________1.
The Arabic word al-Hāqqah (The Inevitable) is one of the
names of the Day of Judgement used by the Qur’ān. The name signifies that
this Day is a certain reality and that both morally and rationally it must
come. The particular style adopted by the Qur’ān in these first three verses
is meant to startle the addressees and alarm them of their indifferent
attitude. No answer is given to the rhetorical questions implying that the
tremendous upheaval which will take place on that day is beyond imagination.

2.
Al-Qāri‘ah is another name of the Day of Judgement. The
name alludes to the fact that this Day would come as suddenly and abruptly
as an unexpected rap at the door. Like a bolt from the blue it will alight
and catch everyone unawares.

3.
With this verse begins the mention of the fate of the nations which were
destroyed as a result of denying the Day of Judgement, the Day about which
all the Prophets of Allah (sws) vehemently warned their respective nations.
The Quraysh were well-aware of what happened to these nations.

4.
That is the intensity of the punishment was such that all the people
perished.

5.
A reference to the subverted cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
inhabited by the people of Lot (sws).

6.
This shows the intensity of their crime: denying the
Prophet of Allah (sws) is tantamount to rebelling against Allah.

7.
The account of the people of Noah (sws) saved in the Ark, in contrast with
the dire fate met by the nations mentioned earlier, shows how the Almighty
takes care of people who adopt the right path. The Arabs, it is known, are
from the descendants of the people saved in the Ark. As such the Quraysh are
reminded of this favour of the Almighty.

8.
The anecdotes of punishment mentioned above are now made
a premise to substantiate the Day of Judgement: Just as the nations of Ād
and Thamūd, Pharaoh and Noah (sws) were called to account by the Almighty
for their deeds without taking any pains, similarly the Day of Judgement
shall be brought forth by Him without undertaking any effort for it to bring
everyone to his account.

9.
Here the Day of Judgement is referred to by a third name
al-Wāqi‘ah implying that what the disbelievers are regarding as far-fetched
is a certain reality which is bound to happen.

10.
An eye-opener for the polytheists: the angels whom they
are regarding as deities today shall themselves be in a state of anxiety
when the great cataclysm takes place.

12. This mention of fate of the believers highlights three
very important things: first, a righteous person spontaneously believes that
he shall one day be held accountable for his deeds; second, the reward in
the Hereafter shall be in accordance with the deeds and third, while one
needs to be careful in this world in benefiting from the favours of the
Almighty, he shall have no restriction of any sort in availing himself of
the favours of the Almighty in the next world.

13.
That is while claiming to believe in the Almighty, he
actually did not believe in Him because he did not feed the poor and the
needy in spite of being affluent.

14.
That is while not spending in the way of Allah, he has
made his wealth a stack of filth, which he shall encounter in the form of
dirty water in which wounds are treated and washed.

15.
This is an allusion to the fate of transgressing nations
which the Quraysh very well knew. One such example is that of the people of
Noah (sws) as narrated in detail by Sūrah Nūh ahead.

16.
This refers to the great system of protection when the
Qur’ān was being revealed as testified by the jinn folk in a subsequent
sūrah, Sūrah Jinn. No jinn could interfere in this divine scheme in any
manner.

17.
The words bring to light the real cause of their
disbelief: they do not want to believe in spite of these testimonies of the
seen and the unseen.

18.
In other words, the law of retribution mentioned in the
Qur’ān which was enforced on transgressing nations and the observations of
the jinn folk in the heavens during the revelation of the Qur’ān bear
witness that this Qur’ān is not the work of a poet or soothsayer. It has
been revealed by Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

19.
The words in no way at all imply that the Prophet (sws)
could make up something on his behalf thereby being punished in this manner.
In fact, these stern and firm words are actually directed at the leaders of
the Quraysh who were asking the Prophet (sws) to change some of the
directives of the Qur’ān. This style effectively warns them while not
actually addressing them because of their utter arrogance.

20.
The Prophet (sws) is comforted that if his opponents are
not paying any heed to his calls he should not get desperate or frustrated;
he should only further strengthen his relationship with the Almighty by
glorifying Him.